Fire escape ladder



July 28, 1931. I J L. SMALL FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Filed June 16, 1928 2Sheets-Sheat. 1

L mazzgmntoz July 28, 1931.

J. 'SMALL 1,816,702

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Filed June 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 wym Patent eel July 2 8 1931 UNITED STATES JOSEPH L. SMALL, or WINNISQUAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE 7 FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Applipation filed June 16,

The object of this, my present invention, is the provision of a fire escape for buildings which is in the nature of a flexible ladder, or more strictly speaking a ladder,

whose side members are made up of pivotally connected links, which ladder is secured in a novel manner to an element which in turn is hinged to a fixed element that is arranged over the stool and secured to the apron of the window trim, and whereby the ladder, which is normally housed in a box in the room provided with the window may be easily and quickly directed through the window to provide an escape for occupants of the room should a fire occur in the building.

A further object is the provision of a fire escape of this character in which certain of the side links of the chain are connected with blocks which contact with the sides of the building to space the ladder 'from the building, the said blocks being provided with rounds which hold the sides of the ladder properly spaced, together with a simple, novel and strong means for supporting the ladder when in its outward and active position or when housed in a box in the room provided therefor, the said means when in the. last mentioned position being so arranged as to not interfere with the free opening or closing of the sashes of the window.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a building equipped with my improved fire escape.

Figure 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail elevation looking toward the apron trim and the stool of a win dow casing, to illustrate the manner in which the fixed section of the bracket is attached thereto.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view approximately on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation looking toward one of the blocks and showing open chain links attached thereto.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

1928. Serial no. 285,919.

the numeral 1 designates the window casing of a building. For distinction, the sill of the casing is indicated by the numeral 2, the apron strip, which is secured on the top and inner portion of the sill, by the numeral 3 and the lower transverse trim section, commonly termed the apron, by the numeral 4;

In the room 5 of the building, adjacent to the window casing 1 and centrally with respect thereto I arrange on the floor thereof a box 6, and in this box the flexible ladder hereinafter to be described is normally positioned.

Arranged over the stool, having a rounded portion to engage with the rounded nose of the stool 3 and a fiat extension to contact with the outer face of the apron 4 there is the angle fixed element or bracket 7 of the improvement. Two of'these brackets are employed, and the fiat depending portions thereof are secured to the apron 4.- by screws or like elements 8. 'Pivotally secured to the outer and hinged end of each of the angle members 7 there are the headed and outer elements 9 of the bracket or support for the ladders Each of the elements 9 has an offset portion 10 so that the part 11, extending therefrom will, when the device is in active position, rest directly upon the inclined upper face of the sill 2. The extensions 11 of each of the elements 9 has its outer end headed and has pivoted thereto a link 12. This link is in turn pivoted to a block 13. Each of the blocks has its inner corners beveled, the said blocks being of a materially greater width than the links 12, and the inner faces ofthe said blocks being straight, as at 14:, and these blocks are designed to contact with the outer face of the building structure when the device is-in active position, as illustrated by Figure 1 of the drawings and by the full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The outer edges of the blocks are arranged in a plane with the outer edges of the links 12 and secured to the free ends of the blocks 13 95 there are otherlinks 15 these links having their ends pivotally secured to other blocks 16 similar to the blocks 13. Before proceeding further it should be stated that the chain and blocks are preferably of light but strong 10!! aluminum or other like strong material so that the device may be readily lifted from the box and swung outwardly through the window casing when the sashes are raised. As a matter-of-fact, the device is of such a light construction that the same may be thus posi-' tioned by a small child, Who may likewise swing the ladder through the window casing and position the same in the box 6.

Each of the blocks 13 and 16 have a central round opening therethrough for the reduced ends of trunnions 18 upon the rounds 19.

The rounds 19 may be of wood and havepassed through their trimnion ends cotter pins 21.

The improvement may not only be employed as a fire escape but as a means for supporting workmen on a building and need not be attached to the sill of a window, but

may be attached to the roof of the building. In lieu of the flat chains open link chains 22 7 may be employed as disclosed by Figure 5 of the drawings.

The simplicity of the invention and the manifest advantages thereof will, it is thought, be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which such invention relaies so that further detailed description will not be required, it being, of course, understood that I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details herein forth and, therefore, hold myself entitled to make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim :1

1. A fire escape ladder comprising a pluraliy of chain sections forming the sides of a ladder, substantially triangular shaped plates pivotally connecting the chain sections and the apexes thereof fla'itened to rest evenly against the wall of a buildingto steady the ladder when in use, and rungs detachably connecting the plates in pairs and disposed in a plane with the chain sections and spaced from the wall of a building by the apeXes of the plates to permit a person to obtain a firm foot and hand hold on the rungs.

2. A fire escape ladder comprising a pair of attaching members resting on the sill of a Window and bent to engage and be secured to the inner side of the window frame, a pair of hinge members pivoted to the free ends of the attaching membersand off-set adjacent the pivoted ends thereof to permit said hinge members to rest evenly on the sill and project beyond the outer edge thereof when in the ladder supporting position and a flexible ladder secured to the free ends of said hinge members. 1

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH L. SMALL. 

